Vehicle door hinge



July 19, F LEMKE VEHICLE DOOR HINGE Filed' Feb. l5, 1931 A TTORNEYS Patented July 19, 1932 PATENT OFFICE FRITZ LEMKE, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN VEHICLE DOOR HINGE Application ledFebruar-y 13, 1931. Serial No. 515,441.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicle door hinges.

Vehicle doors are subjected to strains and stresses and due to deformation or torsional stresses of the vehicle body and frame, the ordinary hinge mountings for vehicle doors have wrenching stresses imposed thereon. To permit stresses on the vehicle body and frame, and to prevent the vehicle doors from binding, the ordinary hinge mountings are so arranged that they provide for a certain amount of play or looseness between the door and the door casing. Because of this looselness or play there is objectionable rattling l5 and squeaking of the doors.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a hinge mounting for vehicle doors, which will permit limited yieldability or resiliency of the doors in closed position to compensate for torsional movements or stresses in the vehicle body and frame7 but which will also hold the doors tightly in closed position and will eliminate any rattling or squeaking tendency of the door with respect to their mountings or the body.

A further object of the invention is to provide vehicle door hinges with which the ordinary vehicle may be readily equipped and which are not unsightly, but will enhance the neatness and attractiveness of the vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide vehicle door hinges which are of very simple construction, are strong and durable,

are inexpensive to manufacture, and are Well adapted for the purposes set forth.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved vehicle door hinge, and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

5 Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side view of a motor vehicle in which the door is mounted on the improved hinges;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the upper portion of a vehicle door and the adjacent casing portion of the vehicle body, with portions broken away and in section to show the improved hinge mounted in said door and vehicle portions;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on lline 3-3 of Fig. 2; 55 Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2. l

Referring now more particularly to the to drawing, it will appear that each hinge comprises a member generally designated by the numeral 10 mounted in the vehicle door and a complementary member 11 mounted in the door frame or door surrounding portion. of the vehicle, adjacent the member 10, as best exemplified in Figs. 2, 4 and 5.

The constituent parts of the hinge member 10 comprise a bar 12 fitted in a. recess 13 therefor in the upper or lower edge portion of the door 14 and secured therein by screws or other fastening means. Said member 12 is formed, adjacent opposite ends thereof, with upstanding inverted U-shaped, transverse guide bracket 15 and also a pair of spaced- 75vv apart depending transverse ribs 16, between which recesses 19 are provided. Longitudinally slidably mounted on the top face of the main bar member 12 is a longitudinally yieldable bar 17 and said bar 17 is formed on 80 its lower surface with transverse ribs 18 adapted to occupy intermediate positions in the recesses 19 between the ribs 16 of the member 12. There are secured to the projecting portions of the member 12, adjacent sets of recesses 19, by screws 29, in order to close the inner ends of the recesses 19, plates 20. In thel recesses 19 between the ribs 16 and 18 are coiled springs 21. lt is also to be observed that the outer longitudinally yieldable bar 17 is fitted below the horizontal portions of the transverse brackets 15 and is provided withelongated recesses 22 for that purpose. vAlso, the outer bar 17 is connected to the main member 19 by means of bolts 23 95 extended through the member 12, through elongated openings 24 therefor in the member 17 and threaded into the Vbracket members 15. This arrangement secures the member 17 against the member 12 but permits the `1F10 member 17 to move slightly longitudinally with respect to the member 12 against the tension of the confined coiled springs 21. One end of the outermost bar 17 carries a pivot stud 25 projecting at right angles to the plane of the member 17.

The, complementary member 11, previously mentioned, is adapted to cooperate with the hinge member generally designated by the numeral 10, and sai-d member 11 is mounted in a suitable recess provided therefor inZ the vehicle body or casing immediately adjacent the member 10. Said member 11 comprises a flat bar or plate secured wit-hin its recess by means of screws 26 or other suitable fastening means and one end thereof is provided with a recess or socket 27 to be pivotallyl entered by the projecting portion of the pivot stud 25 of the member 17. The showing in Figs. 2, 3, 4iand 5 illustrates the hinge members as applied to the upper w tion of a vehicle door and adjacent boi'lj' portion or easing. This arrangement is also duplicated at the lower edge portion of the door and adjacent body or casing portion as shown in Fig. l.

The pivot or hinge studs 19, tted in the sockets 27, permit the vehicle doorto hinged ly move to open or closed position in the normal manner. The hinge members 17 'which carry the pivot studs 25 are slightly yieldable with respect to the door and this arrangement permits yieldability or slight resilience in the .door to compensate for wrenching stresses imposed on the hinge members whenthe door is closed, due to torsional strains or stresses in the vehicle body or frame. Furthermore, the construction., while permitting slight yieldability to compensate for strains and stresses, because of the springs 21, will normally keep the door in close engagement with the surrounding casing or vehicle portion, overcoming looseness or play in the door with respect to the body, whereby objectionable rattling and squeaking of the door and hinge members is eliminated. The hinge members are concealed, and therefore the neatness and at- Y tractiveness of the vehicle is enhanced. Furthermore, the improved vehicle door hinges are easily installed, are of simpl-e and novel construction, and are well adapted for the purposes set forth.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A door hinge, comprising a bar for rigid cess, a slide bar longitudinally movably mounted against the outermost face of said hinge bar, cooperating means formed in and on said bars for joining the same and for limiting longitudinal movement of the slide bar with respect to the hinge bar, yielding means interposed between adjacent portions of said bars, a pivot stud projecting from said slide bar, and a plate secured to a portion of the door casing and having a recess receiving said pivot stud.

In testimony whereof, I ax my signature.

FRITZ LEMKE.

securement to a door element, a recess being formed in said bar, a cooperating bar longitudinally movably secured against a face of said first-mentioned bar, a transverse rib formed on said cooperating bar and lodged inv said recess, yielding members in said recess confined between said rib and wall portions of the recess, and, a ypivot stud projecting from an end portion of said cooperating bar.

2. The combination with a door and door 

